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About TeachingCity

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Launched in June 2017, TeachingCity brings together the City of Oshawa and its education and research partners – the Canadian Urban Institute, Durham College, Trent University Durham Greater Toronto Area, the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, and the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering.

The partners address Oshawa’s urban issues through innovation, collaboration, applied research and shared experiential learning opportunities with the aim to position Oshawa as a local, national and global community of urban research and learning.

, an applied research collaboration between the City of Oshawa and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, was the inaugural TeachingCity project with the final research from the project adopted in principle as the City’s first plan focused on diversity and inclusion.Approved by City Council in November 2017, the Diversity and Inclusion Plan provides a strategic framework to guide the City as it continues to work toward an inclusive and welcoming city for all.The Plan’s action items address the goals of fairness, justice and non-discrimination to ensure community members have equal access to employment opportunities, programs and services, and feel welcome and involved in the community.

The first-ever TeachingCity Hackathontook place in March 2018. Providing students an opportunity to propose a solution to a public policy challenge around the theme of improving residential rental housing in Oshawa, the event saw 10 teams of students from all three organizations – supported and mentored by faculty, City staff, and community and business leaders – compete for a chance to win $1,500.

On May 14, 2018, the City and its TeachingCity partners celebrated a successful first year with the opening of the TeachingCity Hub in downtown Oshawa. Located at 1 Mary Street, the hub is an open-concept space designed to facilitate TeachingCity projects with the City’s education and research partners, including students, faculty and staff. Providing opportunities for TeachingCity partners to share access to facilities, resources and equipment, and offering office, classroom and open lab space, the hub is used for TeachingCity partnership meetings, collaborative learning opportunities and co-design.

In 2018, the City, in partnership with key stakeholders including TeachingCity partners Durham College, Trent University Durham GTA and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, embarked on a community-driven initiative to compete to win up to $10 million via the Infrastructure Canada Smart Cities Challenge. An extensive public consultation process identified community needs, project ideas and challenge areas and helped determine Oshawa’s priority issue for the Challenge. Submitted in April 2018, the City’s submission focused on empowering residents in low-income neighbourhoods by improving access to digital technology and the ability to access the services required to fully participate in the economy. The submission aimed to enhance economic and social equality across Oshawa.